But in that Moses said: "You shall not eat swine, nor eagle, nor hawk, nor raven, nor any fish that has no scale in itself," he received in his understanding three decrees.
Moreover He says to them in Deuteronomy: "And I will establish with this people my ordinances." So then it is not a commandment of God not to eat, but Moses spoke in the Spirit.
Thus He spoke of the swine for this reason: You shall not, He says, cleave to such men, who are like swine; that is, when they are in luxury they forget the Lord, but when they are in want they acknowledge the Lord—just as the swine, when it eats, does not know its master, but when hungry cries out, and when fed is silent again.
"Neither shall you eat the eagle nor the hawk nor the kite nor the raven": You shall not, He says, cleave to nor become like such men, who do not know how to provide their food for themselves by labor and sweat, but seize what belongs to others in their lawlessness, and keep watch as though walking in innocence, looking about whom they may strip through their greed—just as these birds alone do not provide food for themselves, but sitting idle seek how they may devour the flesh of others, being a pestilence in their wickedness.
"And you shall not eat," He says, "the lamprey nor the polypus nor the cuttlefish": You shall not, He says, become like, by cleaving to, such men, who are utterly ungodly and already condemned to death—just as these little fish alone, accursed, swim in the depth, not swimming like the rest, but dwelling in the ground at the bottom of the deep.
But also the hare you shall not eat. To what end? You shall not, He says, become a corrupter of children, nor become like such men; because the hare year by year multiplies its excretion, for as many years as it lives, so many holes it has.
But neither shall you eat the hyena: You shall not, He says, become an adulterer nor a seducer, nor become like such men. To what end? Because this animal changes its nature year by year, and becomes at one time male, at another female.
But also the weasel He rightly hated. You shall not, He says, become such as those we hear of who work lawlessness with the mouth through uncleanness, nor cleave to the unclean women who work lawlessness with the mouth. For this animal conceives with its mouth.
Concerning food, then, Moses, having received three decrees, spoke thus in the Spirit; but they, according to the lust of the flesh, received them as though spoken of eating.
And David receives knowledge of these same three decrees, and says: "Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly"—just as the fishes go in darkness into the depths; "and has not stood in the way of sinners"—just as those who seem to fear the Lord sin like the swine; "and has not sat in the seat of the pestilent"—just as the birds that sit for plunder. You have it fully also concerning eating.
Again Moses says: "You shall eat everything that parts the hoof and chews the cud." What does he mean? That he who receives food knows the One who feeds him, and resting upon Him seems to rejoice. He spoke well, having regard to the commandment. What, then, does he mean? Cleave to those who fear the Lord, to those who meditate in their heart on the distinction of the word they have received, to those who speak the ordinances of the Lord and keep them, to those who know that meditation is a work of gladness, and who ruminate upon the word of the Lord. And what is the parting of the hoof? That the righteous man both walks in this world and looks for the holy age. See how well Moses gave the law.
But how could they understand or perceive these things? But we, having rightly understood the commandments, speak as the Lord willed. For this reason He circumcised our hearing and our hearts, that we might understand these things.